[MassHistPres] Plymouth Rock Portico Opening Ceremony

Mon Nov 10 15:56:50 EST 2008

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation invites you
to attend the Ribbon-
Cutting Ceremony for DCR's newly rehabilitated Plymouth Rock Portico at:

DCR's Pilgrim Memorial State Park
Water Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts
November 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

This highly significant, McKim, Mead and White-designed Neo-Classical
structure contains a Guastavino vault and was completed in 1921 in honor
of the 300th anniversery of the arrival of the Pilgrims in Plymouth. 

Planning, testing and construction over the last two two years included:
removing the protective net, roof replacement, total masonry
cleaning/repair, mortar replacement, railing painting, rust removal from
the internal steel frame, replacement of damaged terra cotta Guastavino
vault tiles (with custom-fabricated replicas), and complete tile mortar
replacement. 

A solar-powered cathodic protection system (which halts rust through the
application of a safe and mild electrical current) was also installed in
the Portico to ensure protection against any future deterioration.  

Any questions can be directed to:

Shaun Provencher
Historic Preservation Planner
Office of Cultural Resources
MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
251 Causeway Street, Suite 700
Boston, MA 02130

617-626-1376
shaun.provencher at state.ma.us

-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2008 12:00 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: MassHistPres Digest, Vol 33, Issue 5

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Today's Topics:

   1. RFP technical analysis of 1848 building w/ wrought	iron
roof
      & cast iron stairs (Dennis De Witt)
   2. Re: 21st Century Designs (Sketchup) (Aaron Marcavitch)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 12:00:45 -0500
From: Dennis De Witt <djdewitt at rcn.com>
Subject: [MassHistPres] RFP technical analysis of 1848 building w/
	wrought	iron roof & cast iron stairs
To: MHC listserve <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Cc: mvmole at dca.net, "Jeffrey A. Cohen" <jcohen at brynmawr.edu>,	"Judith
	E. Selwyn" <jselwyn at econtech.com>,
"Richard_O'Connor at nps.gov>"
	<Richard_O'Connor at nps.gov>,	ELWIN ROBISON
<erobison at kent.edu>,
	wsa at modernruins.com,	jhgotthelf at modernruins.com,
	RL at conservationtech.com,	John A Ochsendorf <jao at mit.edu>,
	info at jgwaarchitects.com,	frank griggs
<fgriggs at nycap.rr.com>,
	llankton at myu.edu,	James Garvin <James.Garvin at dcr.nh.gov>,
Alan
	Lutenegger <lutenegg at ecs.umass.edu>,	Patrick Martin
	<pemartin at mtu.edu>,	cmgheritagestudies at verizon.net, Dario
Gasparini
	<dag6 at cwru.edu>,	Eric DeLony <pontist at comcast.net>
Message-ID: <7927AA3F-4396-459A-B600-FA7B0980EC4A at rcn.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset=WINDOWS-1252;	format=flowed;
	delsp=yes

The Town of Brookline, Massachusetts, has a presently open Request for
Proposals (RFP) to select a qualified consultant to prepare a conditions
assessment with architectural/engineering plans for the Brookline
Reservoir Gatehouse.  The primary requirement is for a technical
assessment by a firm highly qualified and experienced in the analysis of
historic wrought iron and cast iron structures.  Analysis of historic
masonry structures, including those under water is also required.
Historic research has already been largely completed and is not a
primary consideration.

The Brookline gatehouse of the Cochituate Aqueduct was completed in
1848.  Recent research indicates that it has the oldest known surviving
US example of a wrought iron truss roof and wrought iron roof deck.  Its
symmetrical pair of cast iron staircases are also among of the earliest
known surviving examples of their kind in the US.  In addition to its
national significance for these engineering and technical features, the
building is a highly visible landmark and key component in Boston?s
first public water system.

Its granite exterior is substantially intact.  Enough interior fabric
survives to provide templates for potential restoration of the interior.
The purpose of this  assessment is to establish plans for the structural
stabilization of its roof, stairs, and masonry for the building's
eventual adaptive reuse.

The 21 wrought iron roof trusses and its continuous wrought iron roof
deck as well as the symmetrical pair of cast iron staircases are
original and remarkable survivors.  The building has stood empty for
several decades and has suffered from water intrusion, leading towards
structural failure, through built in roof gutters (now covered) . Much
of the original interior molding and plaster walls have been removed,
but sections survive to document original finishes. It is the intention
of the town to develop plans to rehabilitate this structure while
leaving the originally hidden roof structure exposed to public view.

The approximately 40? x 26? two story building is half buried in, and
forms part of, the dam of the reservoir.  Its lower level contains gate
valve chamber(s) and is filled with water to a depth of about 22 ft.
The front quarter of the lower level is the stair hall.  Between the
stair hall and valve chamber is an approximately 26 foot high pipe
chamber, extending approximately 14 feet below grade and below the stair
hall, whose granite slab roof serves as a portion of the floor above and
whose rear wall is at that point, is the face of the dam.  
The pipe chamber is traversed by three very large cast iron pipe, which
together originally fed Boston?s major reservoirs.

The immediate objective is stabilization and preservation, rather than
full restoration.
With respect to the roof, the prime objective of this study is to
determine the means necessary to stabilize and support it in place so
that it survives, substantially intact, as the building?s functioning
load-bearing roof structure, while its original form remains visually
comprehendible.  Whatever support elements may be introduced should be
easily distinguished from the historic fabric so that remedial measures
are clearly discernible from original features, which will remain
visible.

With respect to the cast iron stairs the prime objective of this study
is to determine the means necessary to stabilize and support them, with
minimal visual impact,

The external masonry should be stabilized with grouting and/or tuck-
pointing both to stabilize it and to minimize the transmission of
reservoir water through the joints, as a means of reducing as much as
possible the humidity level in the building.

The complete RFP and additional can be obtained from Greer Hardwicke at
the Brookline Preservation Commission:

greer_hardwicke at town.brookline.ma.us

There will be a site visit for those making proposals on Thursday Nov.  
13.  Other times can be arranged.

An historical study and a description of existing conditions are
available.

This study is being funded by a matching grant from the Massachusetts
Historical Commission.

Dennis De Witt

Brookline Preservation Commission

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 10:30:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Aaron Marcavitch <acornhp at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] 21st Century Designs (Sketchup)
To: MassHistPres <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Message-ID: <265089.45502.qm at web36806.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I would be interested in hearing if anyone is using SketchUp for this
type of application.  Its a FANTASTIC program and I am hopelessly
addicted to it.  I can not only design all of the houses I may want to
on it (floorplans on up) but its great for simple massing models and
sketch concepts.

Aaron
Nantucket, MA

--------
http://www.marcavitch.com

--- On Fri, 11/7/08, Marcia Starkey <mdstarkey at crocker.com> wrote:

> From: Marcia Starkey <mdstarkey at crocker.com>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] 21st Century Designs
> To: "MassHistPres" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Date: Friday, November 7, 2008, 8:58 AM Hello,
> 
> The story at www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=9159 describes the Uof 
> Cincinnati program to recreate lost Shaker buildings and the images at

> google sketchup/3dwarehouse seems interesting as a way to show people 
> what has been lost on existing buildings as well. Are there 
> Massachusetts examples of this application?
> 
> Marcia Starkey, Greenfield HC
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End of MassHistPres Digest, Vol 33, Issue 5
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